Illuminated sign



1%, W351 E. c. LAWS 2,089,804

ILLUMINATED S IGN Filed April 2, 1936 mum w zmd c. 316% Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED SIGN of Delaware Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,417 In Great Britain December 18, 1935 3 Claims.

As is well known neon gas discharge tubes are very popular in connection with advertising and like signs partly owing to the low running costs they entail but mainly owing to the striking and conspicuous appearance they present compelling the attention of the persons in the vicinity. Although applicable with advantage to signs of large size such neon lighting is not so readily adaptable to signs of small and medium sizes with economy because the cost of the attendant electrical equipment employed for exciting the tube becomes disproportionate to the value of the sign as a whole.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive illuminated sign apparatus which will simulate closely the effects of a neon tube sign and yet be applicable economically to signs of small and medium sizes.

According to this invention the improved sign apparatus comprises a stencil front illuminated from the rear, with open parts of a uniformly narrow width defining the letters of the sign to be displayed. And spaced at a slight distance in front thereof is a second stencil with openings of a similar form but greater width; such second stencil serving the purpose of reflecting a diffused light onto the first stencil immediately about its open parts. By this means the open parts in the first mentioned stencil are made to appear as though brightly illuminated, with a soft glow or aura immediately surrounding said parts just as is usual with neon tube signs.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into prac- 5 tical effect reference may now be made to the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters relate to like parts in all the.

figures and in which:-

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a sign, 40 according to the invention, mounted in a casing. Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section on the line A-B, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detached view to a larger scale of a single letter of the sign shown in Figure 1. 45 Figure 4 is a transverse section through the stencil plates on a very much exaggerated scale, illustrating ,by appropriate lines certain of the light rays to indicate the function of the device.

In the apparatus shown an incandescent lamp 50 a. is mounted within a triangular casing b with an inclined back 0 which forms a reflector plate preferably having a matt surface of light colour and the front closed by a pair of spaced inner and.

outer stencil plates d and e. 55 The sign matter to be shown is defined by slots or open parts 1' of uniformly narrow width in the inner stencil plate 11 which is opaque except at those parts thus made open to present the sign matter required; but on its outer surface it is of a light colour adapted for reflecting light in a modified degree. In order to impart to the sign effects similar to'those obtained with a neon tube apparatusthe outer stencil plate e forming the actual front of the casing 11 is disposed parallel to, but at a slight distance, in' 10 front of the plate d, the slot or openings g in the stencil plate e being of similar form but greater width than those in the stencil plate (1.

The interior surface of the stencil plate e is preferably of a light colour or otherwise made capable of reflecting light, whereas the outer surface may be black or of any colour desired. When illuminated by the lamp b the sign matter, such 'as the letters Advert shown, appears in brightly lighted strips defined by the slots f. 20 A small portion of the light emerging from the inner stencil (1 falls upon the inner surface of the outer stencil e and is reflected back to the outer surface of the stencil d where it appears in the form of a soft glow or aura within the 25 slots 9 and immediately surrounding the slots d thus simulating very closely the effect obtained with neon tube signs. This is clearly shown in the case of the letter 15 shown in Figure 3, the shaded parts h representing the glow or aura 30 within the slots g and surrounding the brightly lighted strips defined by the slots 1 forming the letter. The reflector plate 0 and the reflecting surfaces on the plates d and e may be tinted in different ways in order to simulate neon lighting of various colours.

It will be apparent from the above construc tion that the light from the light source passes directly through the slots 1 to the eye of the observer to define the sign indicia in brightly illuminated parts. This direct light emission through the slots is, of course, freely visible through the slots g in the outer stencil e as such slots 9, while in correspondence with the outline of the slots ,f, are of increased length and breadth as compared with the slots 1, such light rays being indicated at :r in Figure 4. It is to be also noted that a portion of the light rays passing through the slots I will be at such an angle that they cannot pass through the somewhat wider slots g but will be intercepted by the inner surface of the stencil e immediately adjacent the edges of the slots g and reflected onto the outer surface of the stencil d, such rays being indicated at y in Figure 4. Of course, the light rays which are directly reflected from the stencil e onto the stencil d in this manner will reach the stencil d at a point or points on such stencil d which are not visible through the slots 9 to the eye of the observer, by reason of course of the angle of reflection. However, this reflected light from the inner-surface of the stencil e onto the outer surface of the stencil d will create a light area on the outer surface of the stencil d which will result in a diffusion of light onto the outer surface of the stencil d in all directions. .This diffusion of light will tend to illuminate that surface of the stencil d surrounding the slots 1 which is visible to the eye of the observer through the slots 9 in the stencil e. This diflused light and consequent increased illumination of the outer surface of the stencil (1 immediately adjacent the slots I will create an illuminated area surrounding the slots I which is clearly visible through the slots 9 in the stencil c. This illuminated area will of course be materially diminished in intensity in comparison with the intensity of the light rays passing directly through the slots 1 to the eye of the observer and this solves the problem and secures the result of this invention. This reduced light area tends to create the impression of the natural glow incident to the actual neon light and this glow of reduced light intensity combined with the increased light intensity through the slots f creates. an almost perfect simulation of the neon light.

What I claim is:-

1. An illuminated sign simulating a neon sign including inner and outer stencils arranged in substantially spaced parallel relation, and a source of illumination beyond the inner stencil relative to the outer stencil, the inner stencil being formed with openings corresponding to the sign indicia and the outer stencil being formed with correspondingly shaped openings of relatively increased dimensions topermit complete visibility of the openings in the inner stencil through the corresponding openings in the outer stencil, the inner surface of the outer stencil surrounding the openings therein being reflective and the space between the stencils to an extent at least including the reflective area of the outer stencil being completely uninterrupted, whereby the light rays-from the source of illumination passing through the opening in the inner stencil are directly visible through the corresponding opening of the outer stencil to deflne the sign indicia, a portion of the light rays emitted through the openingsin the inner stencil being reflected by the reflective area of the outer stencil onto the outer surface of the inner stencil and laterally diffused to create on the surface of the inner stencil surrounding the openings therein a glow illumination simulating the glow of a neon lamp.

2. An illuminated sign simulating a neon sign including a sign plate formed with openings corresponding to the sign indicia, a source of illumination for directing light through such openings, a second plate arranged beyond the sign plate relative to the source ,of illumination, said second plate being formed with openings of increased dimensions and otherwise corresponding to the openings in the sign plate, the inner surface of the second plate surrounding the openings therein being reflective, the space between the plates for at least an area corresponding to the reflective area being uninterrupted and the openings in the sign plate being substantially centered with respect to the openings in the second plate to permit all light rays passing through the openings in the sign plate and second plate to be directly visible from in front of the sign, a marginal area beyond-the openings in the sign plate being also directly visible through the openings in the second plate.

3. A construction as defined-in claim 2, wherein the marginal area of the sign plate which is visible through the openings in the second plate is colored. I

EDWARD CHARLES LAWS. 

